Resources for Social and Emotional Learning

HE♥RT MATTERS MOST: SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) 

IN THE NEW NORMAL

The teaching profession entails establishing meaningful relationships with learners entrusted to our care, even after they have left our classroom. Even if they have graduated and already taken their own career path, we still have the moral responsibility to reach out and nurture them as our brood, whenever and wherever they might ask for or need our assistance. Our work of transforming humans is never finished.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to "the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions"(CASEL, 2020). The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a trusted source for evidenced-based references, strategies, and high-quality materials for SEL that can be used for school-wide implementation of a SEL program or curriculum, for infusing teacher-initiatives in their own classrooms, or in designing stand-alone lessons. There are also resources that are specifically intended for communicating SEL to parents, community-members and other stakeholders. Free resources, including links to videos and webinars for teacher professional development, can be accessed in their website: CASEL Framework and other SEL resource. The CASEL Framework includes five core competencies of SEL: self-awareness, self- management, social-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. 

These are exciting times and it is indeed an ideal time to reinvent ourselves and explore the unquestionable relevance of SEL as we explore the "new normal" pedagogy. For department heads, team leaders, or subject area coordinators, you can start with an article review as an agenda in one of your faculty meetings as a way to begin the buy-in process for the teachers. A very good article by Roger Weissberg was published in edutopia: Weissberg's 2016 article on SEL. Another good article worth-reading is Whole Child Growth Through Strong Relationships, a white paper that elucidates how relationship, relevance, and rigor are interconnected. This article is a very good material to use when you want to further understand how equally important the cognitive and emotional parts of the brain are. 

For a more comprehensive approach to teacher training, I recommend for a book study the Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning: Research and Practice. One of my classmates was very generous to have shared a pdf version of the ebook. If you are interested, feel free to reach out to me and I can share a particular chapter that you need. Nevertheless, if you are a graduate student, a master teacher or an administrator serving as a curriculum director or instructional leader, this book is a wise investment. The Sanford Inspire of the National University System also offers free and informative webinars that are focused on topics relevant to SEL. 

Source: https://online.sanfordprograms.org/

Another idea for a more relaxed PD would be to have an Inside Out (2015) Movie for a faculty virtual movie review session. The four lessons from the movie were remarkably explained in the Greater Good Magazine published by UC-Berkeley. Trynia Kaufman also wrote a very good article where she captured what we can do to support students in the new normal in just five tips: 5 Tips for Supporting Students Socially and Emotionally During Distance Learning. If you decide to embark on the SEL journey, whether as your personal initiative as a teacher or as school-wide effort to transform your school culture, please do keep in mind Dr. Marzano's reminder that "SEL more than just a few new strategies". Our goal as teachers in the new normal is to be agents to change, utilizing technology as a tool and SEL as a purpose. Let's be agents of change in our virtual classroom, in our faculty lounge, in the cyber-community and wherever you find yourself fulfilling your role as teachers in these unprecedented, yet, exciting times. 

Source: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/

Tony Wagner concluded his latest book with "I am an artist, of a different kind. My art is teaching, my canvas the classroom, my brushstrokes my imaginative lessons. My teaching is creative play - disciplined, adult play with a purpose." I would like to close this article with a borrowed idea from Paolo Freire: "I am a teacher; I work and working I transform the world". 

Some more references that are interesting and worth-exploring: (Please feel free to reach out and I would gladly share links to some resources on SEL; NGSS and Service learning, as well. NOTE: All shared resources will be subjected to appropriate copyright rules whenever applicable. Thank you.)

1. Act for Youth. (2020). SEL Strategies and Tools. Retrieved July 23, 2020, from http://actforyouth.net/youth_development/professionals/sel/strategies.cfm
2. Barbouta, A., Barbouta, C., & Kotrotsiou, S. (2020). Growth Mindset and Grit: How Do University Students’ Mindsets and Grit Affect their Academic Achievement? International Journal of Caring Sciences, 13(1), 654–664
3. Boffone, Trevor. (2020). An Unconventional Approach to Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. In Edutopia, published on March 10, 2020, Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/unconventional-approach-culturally-responsive- pedagogy
4. Claro, S., Loeb, S., & Stanford University, P. A. for C. E. (PACE). (2019). Students with Growth Mindset Learn More in School: Evidence from California’s CORE School Districts. Working Paper. In Policy Analysis for California Education, PACE. Policy Analysis for California Education, PACE. Retrieved June 6, 2020, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED600488.pdf
5. Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D. and Schellinger, K.B. (2011), The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta‐Analysis of School‐Based Universal Interventions. Child Development, 82: 405-432.
6. Feitler, F. and Tokar E. (1982). Getting a Handle on Teacher Stress: How Bad is the Problem? Educational Leadership. March 1982, p. 456-458. Retreived 21 May, 2020 from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198203_feitler.pdf
7. Fitzgerald, C. J., & Laurian-Fitzgerald, S. (2016). Helping Students Enhance Their Grit and Growth Mindsets. Journal Plus Education / Educatia Plus, 14, 52–67. Retrieved June 6, 2020,from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.nuls.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=2d85717d-1620-4c41a720-b626093c18d4%40sessionmgr4006
8. Gayl, C.L. (2017). How state planning for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) can promote student academic, social, and emotional learning: An examination of five key strategies. CASEL Brief. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.
9. Hochanadel, A., & Finamore, D. (2015). Fixed and Growth Mindset in Education and How Grit Helps Students Persist in the Face of Adversity. Journal of International Education Research, 11(1), 47–50. Retrieved June 6, 2020, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1051129.pdf
10. Huddleston, Lauren. (2020). Maintaining Work-Life Balance During the Pandemic. Edutopia. Published May 18, 2020. Retrieved 21 May, 2020 from https://www.edutopia.org/article/maintaining-work-life-balance-during-pandemic
11. Kadiyono, Anissa & Hafiar, H. (2017). The role of academic self-management in improving students’ academic achievement. Ideas for 21st Century Education, 117-120. G. Abdullah, et al (Eds.) London: Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN 978-1-138-05343-4. Retrieved May 13, 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319413646_The_role_of_academic_self- management_in_improving_students'_academic_achievement
12. Loeb, S., Christian, M. S., Hough, H., Meyer, R. H., Rice, A. B., & West, M. R. (2019). School Differences in Social-Emotional Learning Gains: Findings from the First Large-Scale Panel Survey of Students. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 44(5), 507–542. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://journals-sagepub-com.nuls.idm.oclc.org/doi/pdf/10.3102/1076998619845162
13. Richman, Geoff.(2015). Making Connections. In Edutopia, published on March 6, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/making-connections-geoff-richman
14. Sanford Inspire of National University. (2020). Coping with Teacher Stress. Retrieved 21 May 2020, fromhttps://online.sanfordinspire.org/modules/coping-teacher-stress/?cat_num=67
15. Sanford Inspire at National University. (2019). Teachers as Agents of Change - Coaching Guide. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://online.sanfordinspire.org/teachers-as-agents-of-change-coaching-guide-pdf- 2/
16. Teach Thought. (2020, March 12). 5 strategies for incorporating social emotional learning into your classroom. https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/5-strategies-for-incorporating-social-emotional- learning-into-your-classroom/
17. Terada, Youki. (2018). Burnout Isn’t Inevitable Teachers are stressed—but schools can help. Edutopia. Published July 13, 2018. Retrieved 21 May, 2020 from https://www.edutopia.org/article/burnout-isnt-inevitable
18. Wangberg, E.G. (1982). Helping Teachers Cope with Stress. Educational Leadership. March 1982, p. 452-454. Retreived 21 May, 2020 from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198203_wangberg.pdf
19. Westman, Lisa. (2018). Succeeding With Differentiation. In Edutopia, published on August 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/succeeding-differentiation
20. Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Wang, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (Eds.). (2004). Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? (Abstract). Teachers College Press. Retrieved 24 April 2020, from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-21939-000